Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1887-09-08

| ~ Inc Democratic organs or the state
are attempting to prejudice the
farmers against Governor Foraker by spread.
ing the announcement that Governor Fora
ker, in his annual messages, has recommend.
ed that values of real estate should be
equalized in the different counties of the
State in such manner as to increase the
taxes on the lands.-Toledo Commercial.
The Democratic press of Ohio are giving
the farmers facts in this matter and pre-
judice has nothing to do with it, and the at
tempt of the Commercial to explain away
Foraker's position on the tax increase upon
farm lands is thin, very thin.
j. B. Foraker had no sooner got into Of
fee than he concluded he did not get enough
money from the people to increase his salary
from $4,000 to $4,000, and to pay other
extravagancies of his administration. He
wanted more money, and hit upon the plan
of revaluation of farm lands before the
time for the decemial valuation, which takes
place in 1890. This the Commercial well
knows, and the people of the State are just
being made acquainted with the fact, now
that Foraker is before them for reelection.
On the 26th day of April, 1886, Governor
Foraker sent to the Legislature special
message, one point of which was the recon-
mendation to the law-making power of the
State to take steps to provide by law for the
revaluation of real estate, with view of
tion for taxable purposes. The paragraph
and recommendation, as it appeared in the
message, reads as follows:
SIT is obvious that so long as the present
valuation of real estate stands, great injustice
will be dore to all whose property is even
approximately correctly valued, and the State
will continue unable to meet the public de-
mands without embarrassment. It lis recon-
mended, therefore, that q re-valuation be
had at once instead of waiting for the next
decennial valuation in $780,"
The next paragraph of the message con-
tanned recommendation to redically change
the old system of equalization by selecting
Boards of Equalization by Senatorial dis
tricts. The proposed plan by Governor
Foraker was to constitute permanent Board
of eight members who would not represent
the districts or localities. On the 9th of
April, three days after Governor Foraker
made his recommendation, Mr.. Brown, the
Republican member from Warren, and
chairman of the House Committee on
Finance, introduced two bills, both of which,
it was then stated, were prepared in the Gov
ernor's Office, seeking to carry out the re-
commentator of the Governor for a re-
valuation of farm lands.
A bitter protest at once went up from the
people of the State against the proposed
increase of burden, and these protests put a
stop to the scheme then set on foot to aug
ment the tax levy upon agricultural interests
to meet the exigencies of the approach of an
extravagant administration of State affairs.
No farmer, whether he be Republican or
Democrat, can conscientiously vote for the
reelection of j. B. Foraker, after he has
been made acquainted with the above facts.
That he did recommend revaluation of farm
lands is matter of record at the State capi-
tol, which any one eau examine who is SO
minded. The Democrats are not fighting
this campaign on prejudice, but facts. Facts
which should relegate "Little Breeches" to
private life this fall, which we believe will be
done.